Quote of the Day: The laughter of a child is the light of a house. African Proverb
On Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, I attended the “Invest in Kids” breakfast at the Black Bear Lodge and Saloon in Baxter, MN. The money raised at the breakfast, and throughout the year, is for the Alex and Brandon Safety Center in Brainerd, MN. This center, run by the Mid-Minnesota Women’s Center, provides a safe place for kids and families, safe exchanges for divorced and separated parents, and a place for supervised visitation. Domestic violence is a terrifying, and often deadly, reality to many families. The women’s center was started in 1978 as a place to shelter battered women, their children, and their pets. The Alex and Brandon Safety Center opened in 2000. The name honors two little boys who were murdered by their father as a way of punishing his wife for leaving him. It’s something we don’t want to think about. We don’t want to believe is real, or that it could happen in our own neighborhoods, but it does. These centers exist to help people who are in dangerous situations, give them a safe place to go with resources, and to save lives.
Breakfast Benefit for the Alex and Brandon House in Brainerd, MN
Rochelle Woods spoke to the group on her work with girls who have been abused.
Jade Heldt provided the entertainment with some very touching songs.
My friend Krista gave the group a testimonial about the Alex and Brandon Center and how they needed, and used, the facility when she was leaving an abusive marriage.
Tonya Heldt, director of Mid-Minnesota Women’s Center, Krista Soukup, and Angela Plantenberg, Alex and Brandon’s mother.
Photos from the breakfast
Here I am with Elizabeth Harris and Krista
Elizabeth is one of my blogging students. She perseveres through life and has started writing about what inspires her on her blog, Present Tense for Now. Stop over and say, “Hi” to her and offer a word of encouragement. Everyone has a story.
Go. Create. Inspire!
Journaling Prompt: Do you know someone who has needed the services of places like these shelters? What stories of perseverance have inspired you?
That is just terrible! I can’t imagine doing that to another human being, let alone one’s child.
What a wonderful cause. I never understand how parents can hurt (or kill) their own child for their own benefit. So sad.
There are some sick going ons in the world especially to children which is of course deplorable.
Only just under seven weeks until I am in Branson, looking forward to it.
Have a good week.
Yvonne.
So so sad but what a wonderful cause this is!
Thank you for sharing this, Mary. I’m glad there are places like this; I wish there was no need for them. What a terrible story! Those poor children and that poor mother.
I’m off to visit your blogging student’s blog!
Cheers!
Jen
Big applause for everyone involved to eradicate this horrible curse. It’s shocking what occurs in some homes. When my hub was in the military, I worked closely with programs involved with domestic and child abuse. But it’s not just in the military, it’s everywhere. All sad, very, very sad.
Wow, I’m so proud of Krista and the others. What a heartbreaking story about those boys and yet you’re right. It does happen. We can’t just hide from it and hope it goes away. Thanks for doing what you’ve done here to keep things in the light.
I’m always amazed and inspired how people use the horror in their lives to save others from that horror (and often, in the process, rescue themselves from the demons that haunt them). SOunds like an amazing resource for women.